The Nanshan Museum was developed as part of the cultural centre of Nanshan, one of Shenzhen’s most important urban districts. Located near Hong Kong, Shenzhen has grown into a technological and economic hub of more than 17 million inhabitants and is now one of China’s most rapidly evolving metropolises. Within the city, Nanshan District plays a particularly significant role, with new cultural and commercial developments becoming defining elements of its identity.

ZDA’s original commission was to design a performing arts centre connected to the large sports complex. The project, however, soon expanded to an urban scale and also included the design of the central public square linking the performing arts centre, sports complex, library and museum. The task was therefore not simply to place a series of independent buildings alongside one another, but to shape a broader cultural and civic system.

Construction of the museum was already under way when ZDA became involved. The practice was therefore commissioned to reconsider the building’s programme, refine the operation of the exhibition spaces and redesign the overall interior organisation. During this process, the original scheme was substantially transformed: a new internal layout was introduced, the exhibition and visitor areas were reorganised, and the façade concept was also revised.

The design was informed by local museum and institutional requirements, the needs of the artists whose works were to be exhibited, and international trends in museum design. The objective was to create a contemporary museum environment capable of accommodating a wide variety of exhibition formats, ranging from major international shows attracting large audiences to presentations of traditional Chinese folk art.

ZDA contributed not only to the design of the galleries, but also to the façade, museum technology and interior design concept. The exhibition spaces have distinct characters and respond to different curatorial and technical requirements, while a dramatic foyer zone—also suitable for use as an event space—connects them. This spatial organisation enables the building to adapt flexibly to changing exhibition programmes and to function simultaneously as a museum, a public space and a cultural meeting place.

Throughout its implementation, the Nanshan Museum retained the fundamental objectives of the concept. The building has become one of Shenzhen’s significant cultural venues, combining the flexibility of a contemporary museum with the civic role of a new urban centre for the district.